The Scott McInnis plagiarism brouhaha has been a gift to the Colorado Democratic Party, which has had trouble whipping up the faithful of late -- and they're taking advantage of it. The latest broadside: a statement from two CU regents, Michael Carrigan and Stephen Ludwig, who voted to fire controversial professor Ward Churchill over plagiarism charges.

Such comparisons aren't just a sprinkle of salt in McInnis's wounds. They're a Morton factory's worth. Read the statement below:

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TWO DEMOCRATIC CU REGENTS CALL PLAGIARISM A MAJOR ISSUE

DENVER -- Democratic CU Regents Michael Carrigan (CD-1) and Stephen Ludwig (At-Large) issued the following statement regarding the recent disclosure that Former Congressman Scott McInnis engaged in significant plagiarism in research papers written for a foundation. Both Carrigan and Ludwig serve on the Board of Regents and voted to affirm the CU faculty's decision to dismiss Ward Churchill based on CU's findings of plagiarism. Speaking for themselves and not on behalf of the entire Board, their statement is as follows:

"Mr. McInnis has claimed that his plagiarism only matters because he is a candidate for governor and that it's a non-issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. Plagiarism is stealing someone else's hard work and claiming it as one's own - this is no more permissible for a candidate or politician than it is for a college professor. In the past, the public, including many elected officials, demanded consequences for those engaged in plagiarism. We agree and think the same standard should apply to Mr. McInnis."

Churchill, a former CU faculty member, was dismissed in July of 2007 after a CU investigation into research misconduct that found he had plagiarized.

Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.